THE MINE-SWEEPERS' OPERATIONS.

Taihape Daily Times, 23 June 1919, Page 5

THE MINE-SWEEPERS' OPERATIONS.

WELLINGTON, this day.

The mine-sweepers, before coming here, had cleared up the China Sea,‘ where they destroyed over 40 mines.i After finishing in New Zealand, which, I with good weather, is expected to take two months, they will sweep the Aus-l tralian minefields. At the end of the work they will be handed over he the} Australian Government. WELLING-TON ITE'MS. 1 WELLINGTON, this day I I Lieut. Hanna, of Wellington, secured‘ a, complete file of the Belgian paper “La Libre Belgique” just. after the armistice, and sent it to Wellington. As neither New Zealand nor Samoa._ ccn send a. ship to search Flint ‘lsland! for the reported castaways, Tahiti has been asked t}o do so, but. has not re-1 plied. ‘ i . he - I p ' ;:TIIG.fDCf'eI:ICC Department" has com-I 111:6-11ee_d to issue warrants for payment! of retrospective marriage lallowances. These warrants number 5123, ai.nd'l'c-. present 2. total p‘aym‘ent":ef ,£l’_9:;,46s.§An I analysis of individualipayments showsl tlfat Wives or guardians of motherlessi clfildl'en of men WhlO' Went away with‘ the Main Body draw a sum" of £132. 2;?‘ large number of applications for payment have already been received by the I ofiice in ehiarge of war expenses A BIT TOO PREVIOUS. PEACE BONFIRE SET‘ OFF. i AUCKLAND, this day. L A boni 12 erected on Mt. Eden by the \Pe»zlcc Cclebrations Committee, \.-.o:t.in;_>; {£loo. was preniaturely fired\ by 3 mischief-makers at S xo-’eloek on Siifiday ievening, and was totally destr-oyed_ i The fire presented a. fine speEtaele',7deispite steady rain. It was Watched by jlarge crowds of spectat ors, and led ‘ many to believe peace had been signed. M 3; Sir ames Allen stated to-night’ on 1" _ MCCANN CA.PTURED.: _ 1 . custody byjurnping off the Maiil Trunk : E train on June 12,’ at the. top «ofvthe Rau- 4 r‘imu Spiral, and who»-‘was captured on? Saturday night at Fo‘rdell, appeared at the Magistrate’s’ Court this. morning,; _on a. charge of escaping from custody, i pleaded guilty. The Magistrate defer-I red sentence until to-niorrow. 1 Heavy rain, accompanied by -.1. severe § thunderstorm, was experienced at the} week—end. 3

At a. nleeting'of the VVomen’s \\'ol'king Club held on February 4th, it was decided to pay over to the Local Patriotic Society the money realised from the stock on hand, together with the balance in the bank. The War Funds -Deprartnient nvrote, sta.t.ing that the money could not be dealt with until permission had been‘ given by them. This has now been given, and the sum of £3lB 5/6 paid over to the Local Patriotic Society, so ensuring the money being used, in some way, for our local men, for which purpose if has been subscribed.

A Very strong protest was made at the Palmerston North Dairy Conference on the frequency (as alleged) with which butter and. cheese went astray on the railways. It was stated by several speakers that butter and cheese had been shipped, but on arrival had been short. The Railway Department refused to hold itself aecountable for these losses; declined all responsibility in any way. Cases of cheese cut out from :between the batens of crates in transit were cited, and instances were given of boxes of butter going‘ astny on the failways. The loss in the aggregate was alleged to be very large indeed. The position was made themore diflicult by the fact that the Railway‘ De'partmcn~t insisted on charging for the full weight shipped, although there would be a. loss on the consignment when delivered. The protest is to be for‘warded to ‘the General Maliagcr of Railways;